How to Ship a Car in Canada & the USA: Costs, Carriers & What to Expect

Shipping a car seems simple until you start researching. Open vs. enclosed transport, terminal vs. door-to-door service, broker vs. direct carrier, binding vs. non-binding quotes. The car shipping industry has a well-documented history of bait-and-switch pricing and lowball estimates that get revised upward at pickup. This guide breaks down every decision so you know exactly what you're getting before you hand over keys or money.

Open vs. enclosed transport

This is the first decision in car shipping, and it's the one that most directly affects price.

Open transport accounts for approximately 70–80% of all car shipping in North America. Your vehicle is loaded onto a two-level open carrier trailer alongside 8–10 other vehicles. The cars are exposed to weather, road debris, and dust during transit. In practice, damage from exposure is rare — these carriers move millions of vehicles annually and the exposure risk is low for standard vehicles. Open transport costs $300–$800 less than enclosed on comparable distances.

Enclosed transport uses a fully enclosed trailer that protects your vehicle completely from the elements. Enclosed carriers carry fewer vehicles (1–6 per trailer depending on configuration) and are significantly more expensive. This option makes sense for:

• Luxury and exotic vehicles where any exterior damage is costly to repair
• Classic and collector cars where originality is paramount
• Show vehicles where condition is the purpose of the shipment
• Low-clearance vehicles that can't be loaded on an open multi-level carrier

For a standard commuter car, SUV, or pickup truck in good condition, open transport is the appropriate choice. The premium for enclosed on a standard vehicle is not justified by the marginal risk reduction.

Terminal-to-terminal vs. door-to-door

The second major decision is whether you drop off and pick up at a carrier terminal, or have the carrier come to you.

Terminal-to-terminal service requires you to deliver your vehicle to the carrier's pickup terminal at origin, and pick it up from their drop-off terminal at the destination. Carriers maintain terminals in major urban centres. The advantage is lower cost — typically $100–$200 less than door-to-door. The disadvantages are logistical: you need to get yourself to and from the terminals, the terminals may be far from your location, and vehicles can sit at terminals for several days before loading.

Door-to-door service means the carrier dispatches a driver to pick up from your specified address and delivers to the destination address. This is the standard for most residential shipments. Note that "door-to-door" has a practical limitation: the large auto-hauling trailers require a wide street and adequate turning radius to access. Narrow residential streets, gated communities, and some urban addresses may require you to meet the carrier at a nearby accessible location — a parking lot, a wider road — rather than at your door.

Cost ranges by distance and route

These are realistic current estimates for open transport, door-to-door service. Enclosed transport adds 30–60% in most cases.

• Local (under 500 km/miles): $300–$600. Short routes are disproportionately expensive per mile because minimum charges apply and the carrier's fixed costs don't decrease with distance.
• Medium distance (500–1,500 km): $700–$1,200. The most common range for interprovincial or regional US moves.
• Cross-country USA (coast-to-coast): $1,000–$2,000 open; $1,800–$3,500 enclosed. Los Angeles to New York, or Vancouver to Halifax.
• Cross-border Canada–USA: Add $150–$300 to comparable domestic rates for border processing, brokerage fees, and the reduced carrier pool that serves cross-border routes.

What affects pricing

Beyond distance, several factors move the price significantly:

Season. Summer (June–August) and end-of-month are peak periods — many people move vehicles during these windows, and capacity tightens. Prices rise 15–25% during peak. January and February are the softest months for car shipping, particularly for routes going away from snowbird destinations (Florida, Arizona, California).

Route popularity. High-volume corridors — Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Toronto to Montreal, New York to Florida — have better carrier coverage and more competitive pricing. Rural-to-rural routes or routes with one unpopular endpoint (into Montana, into Newfoundland) cost more because fewer carriers service them and deadhead miles increase the carrier's cost.

Vehicle size. Pickup trucks, full-size SUVs, and large vans take up more space on the carrier trailer than sedans and compact SUVs. The size premium is typically $100–$300 depending on the vehicle.

Operating condition. A non-running vehicle requires a winch to load and unload, which adds cost and limits which carriers can handle it. Inoperable vehicles typically cost $100–$300 more than running vehicles.

Cross-border car shipping Canada–USA

Cross-border vehicle shipments involve regulatory compliance that domestic moves don't. The rules differ depending on which direction you're moving.

Importing a Canadian vehicle into the USA: The vehicle must comply with US EPA emissions standards and DOT safety standards. Canadian-market vehicles sold after 1988 typically meet these requirements because Canadian standards track US standards closely. You'll need to provide an EPA compliance statement and a DOT compliance statement at the border. Canadian vehicles also require a US Customs Form 7501 (entry summary) and proof of title. No duty applies to passenger vehicles imported under CUSMA (Canada–US–Mexico Agreement) rules of origin.

Importing a US vehicle into Canada: The Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program governs all vehicle imports into Canada. A US vehicle must pass a Transport Canada safety compliance inspection before it can be registered. RIV charges an inspection fee ($295 as of current rates). After the RIV inspection, the vehicle must pass a provincial safety inspection before it can be plated. Vehicles over 15 years old may be exempt from some RIV requirements. GST applies at import; HST or provincial taxes apply at registration.

Work with a licensed customs broker for cross-border vehicle shipments — the documentation requirements are specific and errors cause significant delays at the border.

Preparing your car for shipping

Proper vehicle preparation protects you and speeds up the process.

• Clean the car before inspection photos. Pre-shipping inspection documents every existing scratch, dent, and ding. A clean car makes this documentation accurate and protects you from being blamed for pre-existing damage.
• Remove all personal items. Carriers are not liable for personal items left in the vehicle. Car shipping insurance covers the vehicle, not its contents.
• Disable aftermarket alarms. An alarm that triggers during transit is a problem for the carrier and can't be resolved without your presence.
• Document existing damage with time-stamped photos.Photograph the entire vehicle from all angles before the carrier arrives. This is your evidence if there's a dispute about damage at delivery.
• Keep fuel level under one-quarter tank. Carriers prefer low fuel levels for weight and safety reasons. A full tank adds 90–120 lbs to the vehicle.
• Remove toll transponders (E-ZPass, 407 ETR, etc.).These are active during transit and can generate unexpected charges.

Insurance during transit

Car shipping carriers carry cargo insurance, but there are important limitations to understand.

Most auto-hauling carriers cap their liability at $100,000–$250,000 per load, not per vehicle. A load of 10 vehicles with a combined value of $400,000 is underinsured at the carrier level. For standard vehicles, this cap is rarely an issue. For exotic or collector vehicles worth $150,000+, the carrier's liability cap may not cover a total loss.

Your personal auto insurance policy may not cover transit damage — check with your insurer before shipping. Many standard auto policies exclude losses that occur while the vehicle is in the care, custody, and control of a carrier. A supplemental transit policy from a specialty insurer costs 1–2% of vehicle value and provides full coverage during transport.

Booking timeline

Advance booking produces better pricing and more reliable scheduling.

• 2–3 weeks in advance is the target for standard routes during normal seasons. This window gives you time to compare quotes, verify carrier credentials, and confirm logistics on both ends.
• 1 week in advance is possible on high-volume routes (major city pairs) if your dates are flexible. Flexible pickup windows (3–5 days) are more important than flexible delivery windows for securing capacity.
• Same-week booking is possible but typically costs 20–40% more than advance booking. Carriers who have available spots on the same week know they have leverage.

Beware of carriers who quote very low rates and then claim "no available trucks" for weeks — a classic pressure tactic to get you to accept a higher "expedite fee." Confirm that the carrier can meet your timeline before paying a deposit.

Moving a vehicle across the country or across the border and need help coordinating the logistics? Contact TRUCC — we handle vehicle and freight moves across the USA and Canada.